SALISBURY, Md. - The Salisbury University men's basketball team dropped its opening round game of the 2007 Optimist Classic to Albright College, 78-57, Friday night at the Maggs Center. The loss is the fourth straight for the Sea Gulls.

Salisbury (2-5) was led by senior guard Gary Ward who scored a team-high 17 points and two steals. Senior forward Jonas Vaitkus scored 10 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. Junior guard Brandon Abney also contributed 11 points in the loss.

The Lions' Andre Murphy led all scorers with 21 points going 4-for-5 from behind the three-point arc. Albright (4-1) used its height to its advantage scoring 42 points in the paint as four different Lions scored in double figures. The Lions outrebounded the Sea Gulls, 39 to 28.

SU never led in the game as they struggled with the Lion's offense. The Sea Gulls shot 36 percent from the floor, 14 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the free throw line (17 of 20). The maroon and gold scored 16 of their points off Lion turnovers and got 13 points from its bench players. Albright led 32-26 at the half.

The Gulls will play Ramapo College tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. in the consolation round of the Optimist Classic.